“Instead of finding a compromise on the gas price, Kiev sued Russia at the Stockholm arbitration court over a price set in the previous agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” Alexei Pushkov added

MOSCOW, August 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine stands internationally isolated in the Russian gas supply dispute if U.S. political backing is removed from the issue, Chair of State Duma Committee for Foreign Affairs Alexei Pushkov told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday.

Russia's neighbor “turned out to be alone if pure U.S. political support is not taken into account," Alexei Pushkov noted.

Even the support from the U.S. was “not of principal importance in this case” since “America cannot help Ukraine's leadership provide heating to the homes of Ukraine,” the lawmaker said. “Ukraine can only do so with the help of Russian gas,” he added.

Observing results of the Minsk summit between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday Pushkov said the policy of open conflict with Russia embraced by Ukraine's leadership early in the summer and pursued primarily by Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk would have "negative after-effects for that country for a long time.”

“Instead of finding a compromise on the gas price, Kiev sued Russia at the Stockholm arbitration court over a price set in the previous agreement between Russia and Ukraine,” the lawmaker said.

“This strips Russia of the opportunity to take steps in meeting Ukraine half way,” Pushkov added. Ukraine did not support European Union opposition to the gas dispute. Brussels knew Russia was ready to fulfill its commitments "and realized that Ukraine's leadership had acted radically and irresponsibly”.

“Now, the EU is pushing carefully, but quite firmly, upon Ukraine to attain settlement on the issue so as not to threaten Russian gas supplies in Europe,” he said.